


thirium veins | a galaxy

by mintychoices



Category: Detroit: Become Human
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Slow Burn, like really light angst, majority is fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-05-26 11:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14999858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintychoices/pseuds/mintychoices
Summary: and at that moment, the solar system came together to play matchmaker.a collection of short stories from the sun - pluto.[The journey has now been completed]-----(sleeping at last's space 1 and 2)





	1. one: sun

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't written in a while and this is my first connor and d:bh related thing so i apologize if he's ooc and the writing is a bit off or there's a lot of mistakes!
> 
> these short stories are actually short stories. the word count of chp 1 was 511 words.  
> 

\--------------------------- 

| one; sun |

| our once barren world now brims with life |

\---------------------------- 

 

The sun, if you really think about it, never left your side. Some people are overjoyed to see the sun and some dread its arrival. In a way, the sun reminded you of someone you knew quite well in your workplace

 

“Detective?” Ah. You hummed in response, his velvety voice filling your ears and soothing you. “Are you alright? You have been idle for quite some time now.” In your still drifting state, you noticed his LED flicker from its calming blue to a bright sunflower yellow.

__

_Like the sun,_ you thought, _he’s just like the sun_.

 

You weren’t too sure when you started associating Connor with that sphere of hot plasma. Maybe your tired mind made too many connections a little too late in the day? This nickname wasn’t created recently though, you can’t remember but you were sure it was created before the android revolution.

 

If you had to make a guess, you’d say that your reasoning was that if Hank considered - and referred to - Connor his son, you’d call him your __sun.__ Oh god, maybe you __were__  sleep deprived when you made this nickname up for him.

 

And it wasn’t even a true nickname! You have never called him that to his face, much less in public. The embarrassment would be a little too much for you to handle. You refused to imagine the scenario, fearing you’d cringe at the thought and cause the android to interrogate you.

__

“I’m fine, Connor.” You spluttered out, thoughts still running marathons in your head. You gulped when you met his gaze. Was. . . Was he analyzing you?

“I just slept. . . pretty late today.” You silently hoped that he wouldn’t assume that you didn’t sleep at all, even though it was the truth.

 

“Prominent dark circles are present under your eyes, and a quick scan indicates that you are showing signs of fatigue and sleep deprivation.” You sighed, you felt like you were being lectured. Before you could retort and defend yourself, you heard him mutter under his breath.

 

“I care for your well-being.” A smile broke out onto your features. The dull office seemed to brim with life now, as if those words made you see everything through rose-tinted glasses - at least in that moment. “I apologize, Detective, if you think my constant observations are irritating.”

 

You stood up from your chair, shocking the poor android, and stepped in front of him. His soft brown eyes found yours as you beamed up at him, even though he was sure you probably felt light headed.

 

“I care about you, and your well being in general, too.” You assumed the shade of blue that dusted his cheeks was an illusion created by your sleep deprived brain.

 

 _My little sun_ , you thought, _you make my world a little bit brighter._

 


	2. two ; mercury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I admit, however, I didn’t think you’d be involved in this predicament.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all of these scenarios are post-best ending in the game.  
> also this chapter is significantly longer than the last one.

\-----------

\- mercury -

\- all of this mess is just my attempt to know the worth of my life -

\------------

Snow lightly dusted every surface, and your car’s hood was not exempted, angelic white now gracing your vision. Street lights lit up the icy darkness before you, lighting up whatever your headlights could not. A soft whirring came from the seat beside you, somehow seeming louder than the crunching of snow beneath the tires.

 

“Detective, may I ask you a question?” You cast him a quick, questioning glance before pulling your eyes back onto the road..Worrying that he hadn’t taken the hint to continue, you gave the android a small hum in response.

 

“When I was shot, a few days ago,” you sensed the matter-of-fact tone in Connor’s voice. It reminded you of whenever he bombarded a suspect with questions in the interrogation room. In all honesty, you weren’t looking forward to this conversation, but you stayed silent, letting him speak his mind.

 

“You were displaying signs of panic and concern. You were. . . worried.” The android paused, leading you to assume that his LED was solid yellow, probably sorting out his next words with caution. “My scans indicated that your heart rate increased considerably at the moment of conflict.”

 

How could he seem so carefree when talking about his own possible death? You knew that a few of your colleagues at work have talked about near-death experiences. A lot of them have the scars and scabs to prove it. When they share those wild stories at celebratory drinks at the club, they always exaggerate.

 

But Connor? He isn’t exaggerating with these experiences, he’s just. . . breaking them down into biological data and percentages. And he’s not even worried. You’d think he would be less willing to put himself in danger after discovering his deviancy.

 

“How. . . __How__  could I __not__  be worried, Connor?” You tried not to raise your voice, “You were hurt, you were __shot__.” Your grip tightened on around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white from the action.

 

You remembered the blue blood splattering onto the wall behind you, spreading outwards like dandelion seeds from its main plant. You were sure you jumped, but Connor didn’t _ _even flinch__  at the aggression presented by the suspect. A dark cavity replaced a part of the android’s upper arm, blue electricity dancing between the exposed thirium veins.

 

You felt his eyes on you, surely picking up on your tense state. You let a sigh leave you and your fingers drifted from the wheel to the auto-drive button. This talk was serious, by the look of things, and you needed to give Connor his undivided attention.

 _ _The attention he had always deserved,__  you thought as you turned to look at him.  The android looked at you with an expression you can’t quite place, the silence deafening.

 

“I can be repaired,” your name left Connor’s lips soon after his statement, as if to reassure you. “On the other hand, human life is invaluable. You, for instance, are irreplaceable.” His eyes left you and trailed down to watch his own hand fidget with his calibrating coin.

 

“You feel pain when you’re injured, but I do not.” You gulped, digesting everything he said. You remembered Connor doubling-over and gritting his teeth when Gavin punched him in the stomach. “If I were to be,” you hear his breath hitch, the hesitation sounding so real, “. . . deactivated, I would just be replaced by a new model.”

 

 _ _That’s not true__ , you recite in your head. __That’s what he’s programmed to say__.

 

CyberLife was only allowed to create new androids whenever their population started declining, as there was no real way for them to have children to continue their legacies. Androids that were damaged could be repaired, but when they get deactivated, it’s treated like a human death.

 

“Connor,” his head perked up to lock eyes with yours. “That’s not true.”

 

“I apologize. I know that the information can be jarring, but--” You caught hold of his hands and Connor stopped, his mouth still parted.

 

“Even if you were replaced, that version of you is not an exact replica.” The android opens his mouth to retort, his eyebrows furrowed, but you don’t give him a chance to talk.

 

“Your serial number would be different, for example.” You watched his face become void of any emotion, but soon looking at you with a conflicted expression on his face.

“The number of freckles you have might differ. Hell, the new model might have a different hair or eye colour.”

 

You watch the male android’s LED flicker yellow-red-yellow frantically, unable to form words and only being able to manage unintelligible stutters.

 

“Do you know what I’d do if you walked into the station with blue eyes instead?” You made sure your tone was more teasing than before. “I’d be very disappointed in CyberLife for changing an aspect of you that I thought made you very attractive.”

 

His LED stayed a solid bright yellow, and from whatever light in the car, you spotted the light blue blush that dusted his cheeks. Your hands drifted from where they were on his lap to cup his face in your hands.

 

Connor let a smile grace his beautiful features, leaning into the warmth of your hand, “Thank you.” His voice comes out as a soft mutter, your name rolling off his lips as his hands reach up to hold yours once more.

****

****

_“I’ve been questioning the worth of my life for a while now. So, thank you.” Connor sighed, flashing an adorable smile, “I admit, however, I didn’t think you’d be involved in this predicament.”_


	3. three ; venus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So he resorted to the 'urban dictionary' , which may be impractical, but at least it provided some type of result.
> 
> ' butterflies in your stomach :  
> An awesome feeling when someone you care about looks at you, stares at you or complements you; and you don't know what to do in that moment, except feel happy. It can be a physical feeling like a little tickle traveling up your stomach. '
> 
> He wasn't quite sure if this helped him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't know what to do with this one, so it ended up being a pretty overused idea and i'm beating myself up over it  
> i hope connor turning to the internet and the reader instead is good enough? I didn't want him to just ask hank (even though it is mentioned that he has)

\---------------

\- venus -

\- astronomy in reverse, it was me who was discovered -

 ------------------

Connor felt like he was __overheating,__ and from default, he knew that feeling was never a good thing. The bio-component in his abdomen, Connor thought, was surely taking quite the blow. The android found the feeling to be quite strange, maybe it was an anomaly in his programming?

He ran a self-scan, the results rendering him even more perplexed. Everything was. . . __fine__. No viruses, no malfunctions. But why did it feel like a wildfire was spreading from his core to every part of him?

 

When he contacted a former CyberLife employee about his condition, they weren’t quite sure what was wrong with him. So he turned to Hank for help and when he explained his problems - in full detail of course - his father figure only answered with an ‘Ah jeez’ and told him to look up the phrase ‘butterflies in your stomach’.

 

Today, Connor figured, wasn’t a good day. If he wasn’t confused before, he definitely was now. The information he had gathered from the World Wide Web appeared before his eyes. A type of medical report was the first search result, and although he did skim through it, it didn’t really help him understand what the feeling was on an emotional stand-point.

 

So he resorted to the urban dictionary, which may have been impractical, but at least it provided some type of result.

 

' **__butterflies in your stomach__**  :

An awesome feeling __when someone you care about looks at you, stares at you or complements you; and you don't know what to do in that moment, except feel__ ** _ ** _happy_**_**. It can be a physical feeling like a little tickle traveling up your stomach. '

 

Connor felt the blue blood coursing through his veins stop for a moment, and it was then that he realized that this. . .this was it. The overwhelming heat would only strike him whenever he was around you, a trusted detective and partner. The android felt the strange warmth fill his cheeks.

 

__Everything reconstructed like jigsaw pieces clicking together._ _

__

The android rose from his swivel chair, scanning the office until his eyes landed on your work space, watching as your eyes were trained on a data-pad, twirling carelessly in that little chair of yours.

 

“Detective?” He made his way over to you, his steps coming in sure strides. Connor sensed his breath hitch when you looked up at him.

 

“Is this how we’ll start every conversation, Connor?” He watched a soft smile appear on your lips. The android thought his thirium pumper was going into overdrive. “Anyway, what’s wrong?” His LED whirred into a striking yellow as he scanned you, watching your heart rate increase the slightest bit.

 

“Connor,” the android abruptly ended his scan, his undivided attention shifting to you. “You know I don’t like being scanned. Mind sitting down?” Connor wasn’t too sure when or why an extra chair was kept near your table, but he brought it closer to you and complied.

“I feel indescribably happy when I am with you,” Connor didn’t really know how to explain it, so this was the closest he could describe it. The feelings his processing unit could comprehend when he was with you could be described as an intense feeling of deep affection. He ran a quick word search, hoping the results would arise before you would question him.

 

“Why thank you, Connor.” He felt himself smile at your words, “ I'm really happy when I'm with you too."

 

**_love_ **

**__/ləv/_ _ **

**__verb_ _ **

  1. **__feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone)__**



__

A soft ‘oh’ was all Connor could manage. "Connor? You okay?" He felt your worried gaze linger on him - is this how it felt to be analyzed? - and he couldn't take it anymore.

 

"I'm sorry," He was quick to stand up, looking away quickly, much to your confusion. "I. . . I have to leave."

 

_He needed to leave before he really started to overheat._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for the lovely comments! i appreciate the support as i'm still a little insecure about my writing! thank you :D
> 
> (Wha. Why was there so many mercury's I DONT UNDERSTAND)


	4. four ; earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I would say your care slightly borders over-protectiveness.” He didn’t let you argue, “But, I don’t mind it. I appreciate it, actually.”
> 
> Charming. Was he aware of just how charming he could be sometimes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was based on a dialogue prompt but I ended up writing the aftermath of a fight the reader had with a lady in a strip club that referred to connor as an object rather than a person. So now they’re in an alleyway making our android boy question his self-worth (again)
> 
> (i had so many complications while uploading this chapter holy--)

\-------------------------------

\- earth -  
\- let my change of heart occur -

\-------------------------------

  
“You and I both know that what you were about to do was unprofessional.” You weren’t used to his stern voice being directed to you, finding yourself leaning against a wall - as if looking for some type of stability in this situation.

 

The crashing of thunder resonated in the narrow alleyway, raindrops drumming on every surface touched by the dull moonlight. You never thought that you’d be chided by your own partner - especially in an alleyway in all places - while on the field.

 

“And you and I both know that she had it coming!” You scoffed, crossing your arms like a child having a tantrum. The android eyed you, gaze steady and as stern as his voice.

 

You blamed this all on Gavin. If he didn’t call in sick - even though you’re sure he isn’t - you wouldn’t have had to run an inspection on this strip club down the street. You wouldn’t have had to run into that woman that attempted to pry your beloved android partner away from you.

 

You wouldn’t be having this argument right now.

 

This was the one time you’d say it with confidence; you hated Gavin Reed.

 

You were only snapped out of your brooding state by your name rolling off the android’s lips as an exasperated sigh of sorts.

 

“Listen, Connor, you know I care about you, right?” I must have said it a million times at this point, you thought. You knew you’d keep letting him know that, as seeing the corners of his lips turn up into that adorable smile was worth it.

 

You watched his LED flicker from it’s neutral sky blue to a sunflower yellow. You were pleasantly surprised when he cocked his head to the side with the smile you adored on his features.

 

“I would say your care slightly borders over-protectiveness.” He didn’t let you argue, “But, I don’t mind it. I appreciate it, actually.”

 

_Charming. Was he aware of just how charming he could be sometimes?_

 

“That woman referred to you as an it, Connor. What do you think about that?” The silence returned, previous tension settling between the two of you. As much as you hated the atmosphere, you had to settle the issue here.

 

“I’m sure that most androids would be. . .” He paused, eyes wandering from you to the wall behind you, “. . . offended, by it.” You stayed silent, thankful he continued to speak.  
“However, I do not care for these type of things, so it is safe to assume I am indifferent.”

 

“No wonder you let yourself get beaut up by Gavin,” you deadpanned. “You just don’t care about it, if I’m getting this right.”

 

“That’s correct.” The android gave you a firm nod. “However, after the revolution, Detective Reed has been a little more co-operative.” You knew he literally meant a little more cooperative, because you couldn’t even tell there was a difference in Reed’s attitude.

 

“Alright, well, this might be sudden but,” you watched his expression morph into some type of confusion. “I want you to care about these things, okay?” You pushed yourself off the wall, taking a quick step towards him. The soft whirring from his chest rang in your ears, seeming to rival even the thunder.

 

“I don’t want you to ignore these type of things. You can tolerate them, but please care.”

 

Connor locked his brown eyes with yours, that same perplexity still painted on his features, “I. . . I don’t think I can comprehend this request.” His voice conveyed his confusion, your name coming from him in awkward stutters.

 

“I don’t want you to be pushed around by Gavin,” you explained. “He doesn’t get to call you a heap of plastic, because you’re more than that.” You found yourself taking hold of his dark tie, soaked through by the rain. You felt him flinch at the action, “You are not an it.”

 

“I--”

 

“You are as human as they come, Connor.” Your knuckles started to whiten from the grip you had on him, “Please. You are a person, not an object.”

 

You watched the halo on the side of his temple flicker from the yellow that you’ve been seeing a lot recently, and that cautious red, like a firework display on New Years.

 

It took him a moment to speak, and when he did, you were elated.

 

“Alright.” Connor takes in - what you think is an unnecessary- breath, “I’ll take your words into account, Detective.” The confusion on his face is wiped away and replaced by the soft smile you’ve grown to love.

 

“Good.” You found yourself smiling, “Let that change of heart occur, Connor.” You let go of his tie, and he's thankful you didn't notice him trying to lean into the dispersing warmth of your hand, because frankly, he couldn't explain the motion at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going on a trip to S.Korea, but I’ll try my best to upload if I can! I have a draft of Mars ready (And Neptune has been written a long while back) so I’ll see if I can write Jupiter and Saturn there too. 
> 
> I hope the story is going well so far? venus was probably the hardest for me to write. D:


	5. five ; mars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It occurred to you then that you've never raised your voice at him.
> 
> And you felt horrible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's mars! I tried doing it on the flight but ended up doing it while being pelted by the rain in Jeju.

\-------------  
\- mars -  
\- strangers to suffering -  
\--------------

Something about the roof calmed your nerves. You thought it was the feeling of a city living down below this height that brought you relaxation. But now, with the chill of the iron barriers in your palms, all you felt was exasperation.

_You don't regret your choice at all._

You're brought back from your trance by the hinges of the rooftop entrance screeching open. You didn't need to turn around to tell who followed you here.

"Hi." As much as you loved him, you truly weren't in the mood for the usual cheerful greeting.

"Are you alright?" Connor's voice was low and cautious when he spoke, but it somehow seemed louder than the commotion below.

"What about you?" The intended question came out more like a dry chuckle, "You're the one who got his heart ripped out." You turned to look at him, scanning him for any indication of the events that unfolded on the field. His left hand was bandaged, his palm wrapped up in the white cloth.

"I've had a similar experience before," the android stated, and your gaze shifted. "In Stratford Tower, when Markus first recorded that broadcast."

You watched Connor tilt his head to the side, "Why did you do it?"

You dreaded this question. It made it sound like you were a suspect being interrogated.

"I've told you why so many times before. I don't want to say it again."

He didn't take that as an answer. The gaze he held on you made you want to shrink away and disappear.

"You should have pursued the suspect with Officer Miller instead."

"Geez, why can't you get it, Connor?" You groaned. Were all those previous conversations about these things for nothing?

"I would have been alright."

"Well how was I supposed to know that?" You didn't want to yell at him but you knew you were already raising your voice.

"What if you couldn't get to your biocomponent on time?" You pushed yourself off the railings and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"What, was I just supposed to let you die there?" At those words, you felt him freeze.

"If that's what you wanted, then I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry." You could almost feel the weight of the bio-component in your hands again. The sound of the screwdriver clattering to the ground while the android came tumbling. You looked up at him, felt him flinch, before attempting to push past him.

You were surprised when he let you do so, making your way to the only exit. As you bounded down the stairs you could hear him following after you. You decided to pick up the pace, dreading each footfall on the metal steps. The first face you see when you burst out of the stairwell is Hank's.

"Geez, slow down kid!" It didn't do much. You passed him with a pleading look, turning back to find Connor skipping through the last few steps. "Detective! Please wait!"

_Please, you prayed, please let me leave_.

Your prayers went unanswered.

You just managed to get past Fowler's office before you were tugged back, a firm grip on your wrist.

"Detective, please, let m--" you whirled around to meet with his eyes, the soft brown hue of them attempting to soften your heart. You weren't having any of it.

"Just leave me _alone_!" You yelled, eyes welling up with warm tears. You watched him take a hesitant step back, each of his movements fidgety and heavy.

It occurred to you then that you've never raised your voice at him.

_And you felt horrible_.

"I. . . I--" You're backing away now, gaze leaping from Hank's worried expression to Connor's stiff stance. You felt sick.

_You needed to leave._ Each breath you took felt like another burden on your shoulders. You felt more eyes on you now, the department freezing to cast a questioning glance your way. _You needed to get out._

Your legs finally moved, sprinting out of the police department, avoiding every living body in sight.

You didn't look back when the android called after you again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like this it feels so  
> r u s h e d.
> 
> I'm sorry guys! The tour's schedule is more packed then I thought!   
> I'm pretty exhausted so i hope you guys forgive any mistakes i made here?
> 
> Jupiter, the next one, will be a continuation to this, I think. :3


	6. six ; jupiter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He couldn't tell what the feeling was, but it was as if the solar system sighed at him in exasperation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this fluff enough? Not too sure but the idea was with me all through Seoul and I needed to write it ;-;
> 
> I'm sorry this is so late! The flight back home tired me out!

\-----------  
\- jupiter -  
\- like a magnet it beckoned my metals toward it -  
\-----------

He didn't quite know why his waypoint led him here, to your doorstep. But, nonetheless, here he was, staring at a wooden door, motionless.

Connor wondered if be should knock. A part of him didn't want to,  remembering your outburst in the station earlier that day. He should just leave.

He felt the wood under his knuckles, sensors tingling. The android ran a scan, passing the time. The door was made of mahogany, and its door knob was fabricated from stainless steel.

Connor wondered why you chose an older style of door, coming upon the conclusion that it could be due to nostalgia or for the aesthetic pleasure.

His LED was a sunflower yellow when you opened the door for him.

  
"Good evening, Detective."

  
He hoped you weren't frustrated at him. Connor couldn't explain it, but something in him couldn't bear the thought of you avoiding him. If you were still aggravated by him, the android wanted to ask for forgiveness.

"Hi." Connor watched you look at him quizzically, the greeting a little awkward. "Come in before you get sick."

"Androids can't get sick." He felt the corners of his lips curl up. Connor wasn't quite too sure if that roll of your eyes was out of amusement or annoyance, but he hoped it was the former.

"Fine. Then get in before _I_ get sick." He heard that teasing tone in your voice. Connor quickly shuffled into your home when you moved aside to let him in. He didn't ever want you to fall ill.

The atmosphere was similar to Hank's home; small, but comfortable, he noted. There were no unnecessary pictures of yourself on the wall like in Kamski's, but there were framed photos of what he assumed was your family.

"So, what's up?" The question broke through the previous silence. Connor snapped his gaze from your decor to you instead.

"I'm alright, Detective." His processing unit prodded him to ask you the same question. "How are you?"

"I'm okay."  He's relieved.

  
The android was just about ready to start scanning your home again when he heard you mumble.  
"I'm sorry."

"Why must you apologize?" He was genuinely curious, his light emitting diode once again turning from its blue to a pleasant yellow.  
   
"You know why," he managed to catch that solemn look in your eyes before you turned away. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Oh." Connor picked up a hard cover book from a bookcase, studying it before looking at you. "It's alright. It's partially my fault."

"I--"

"Hank told me to give you some space, but I didn't. It's my fault."

He didn't want you to blame yourself for something he had caused. The words rolled from his lips just as they had after Jericho was raided.

"I should have known that you needed time to adjust."

He felt the firm grip you had on his wrist, following you as you led him to your couch, sitting down next to you. The silence wasn't awkward, but instead very pleasant.

"I've never lost anyone on the field before." You yawned. He felt your head on his shoulders, that feeling of overheating reappearing in his system.

  
"You weren't going to break that streak, Connor."

He knew you hated when he did it, but he scanned you, taking in your tired form. You were on the brink of falling asleep right then and there.

"You know I love you, right?" He heard your drowsy mutterings. Connor wondered if you said that due to fatigue, but either way, he felt that heat in his abdomen spark up again, filling him with a warmth he couldn't describe.

_He should have said something, maybe the same words, in response. But he didn't._

_He couldn't tell what the feeling was, but it was as if th_ _e solar system, in its grand entirety, sighed at him in exasperation_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the reads and kudos! I never expected the story to go this far. I hope this chapter isn't too bad? :3 Thank you, again, for reading!


	7. seven ; saturn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man, he really loved dogs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i'm so sorry if this is a little late! anyway, saturn was originally going to be angst, but i thought there was a little too much angst and less fluff, so boom! it became fluff instead. the song is my absolute favorite out of all the planet songs, so i wanted to try something different with it too.
> 
> this is a little shorter than i'd hoped, but i'm still returning from my holiday state!

\------------------

\- saturn -

\- you taught me the courage of stars -

\---------------------

 

 

You knew he loved dogs.

 

So you should have guessed that he’d get a pooch of his own eventually, instead of just finding comfort in Sumo, the bulky St. Bernard.

 

The small German Shepherd pup -which you thought was a perfect match for him - was yipping at your heels, tail wagging in joy. Any human - and android - would lean down and pet the little thing, as , you admit, it was probably the second-most adorable thing you saw.

 

The first spot on that list was reserved by the canine’s owner.

 

You were probably the only one in the entire precinct who didn’t give the puppy some love. You could’ve sworn you even saw _ _Gavin Reed,__ the DPD’s very own douche-bag _ _,__ pet the little canine when he thought no one was looking.

 

You were a little ashamed to say it, but you were afraid of man’s best friend.

 

Something about their snouts and the dagger-sharp teeth they carried in those slobbery mouths terrified you. Many people tried to convince that their precious pooches were docile, but you could never be told otherwise. You stepped over and away from the splotched canine at your feet, curling up on the break room’s counter. You glared at the general direction of Hank’s laughter.

 

“C’mon kid, something as tiny as that can’t hurt ya.”

 

“I know that, but what can I do?” You exclaimed, the question becoming more of a yell. You couldn’t ignore the beginnings of a blush of embarrassment on your features. You heard the old man laugh again, a low bark coming from his side.

 

You shouldn’t have come to work today. You groaned, your face in our hands, Connor’s German Shepherd deciding to sit right in front of the counter. You forgot today was ‘Bring Your Pet to Work Day’. And you had all the reason to, because you didn’t think you’d be back in kindergarten when you walked in.

 

“Detective?” You looked up to see Connor rounding the corner, his pet rushing up to him. “Forgive me if the dog is troubling you.”

 

You reluctantly slipped off of the counter, cautiously approaching the android - and trying to void eye contact with the pup. “No. . . No. Nothing is wrong.” You lied. Connor’s head tilted to the side, his LED shifting to a yellow.

 

“Do you. . . dislike dogs, Detective?” Connor’s voice was teasing, if your ears weren’t fooling you. You huffed, he knew the answer already.

 

“It’s not that. . .”

 

“Your previous reactions indicate otherwise.” His matter-of-fact tone elicited a sigh from you, watching him scoop the pooch up into his hands.

 

“I mean, it’s more like a fear of them? It’s not too extreme, I think.” You watched him blink, eyes shifting from you to his pet. Next thing you knew, he had shoved the German Shepherd into your arms, and you almost yelled - whether at him or the dog, you didn’t know.

 

“Connor!” You were really trying to calm yourself down. The pup’s dark fur wasn’t the softest thing you’ve felt, the warmth of the little fluff ball pressing against your arm.

 

“There is nothing to be afraid of.” Connor came closer, and you could hear the whirring of fans in his chest from the proximity. He pat the dog’s head, its ears flopping about. You were distracted by the shine in his brown eyes. “I would like to help you like dogs as well.”

 

Man, he really loved dogs.

 

The android took his pet from your hands as if he was handling fragile china. “She likes pats on her head, Detective.” You smiled at the eagerness in his voice, like a child showing off a new toy.

 

You reached out to do what he did before, hoping the pup wouldn’t bite you. You wouldn’t blame it if it did though, it wasn’t as close to you as it was to Connor. “Good dog.” The fur on it’s head was far fluffier than the ones on its body, which you thought was quite peculiar.

 

When you stopped petting it, the pup wrestled its head from under your hand to give it a small lick. You couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Connor?”

 

The android looked at you expectantly. He was probably hoping you’d get over your fear quickly.

 

“Maybe I’ll like dogs.”

 

You could’ve sworn he became the literal sun when you said that, his eyes bright and his grin as sweet as sugar. One of these days you’d have to start calling him by that, you thought.

 

Bring Your Pet to Work Day wouldn’t be that miserable anymore _._

 

_None of your days would ever be miserable anymore, as long as he was there._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how life carries on, endlessly, even after death.


	8. eight ; uranus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That's not--" You shot him a look of amusement. "That's not what I meant by that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm a week late so here i am with DOUBLE UPLOADS. they're both kinda short though so it might not compensate and for that i am very sorry! this chapter is just a lil' fluff but not much else and the next one is that too!
> 
> i feel like these two chapters are very much like a oneshot and not what i've been doing before with like a little type of connection. though.

\----------  
\- uranus -  
\- you gave me the best of me -  
\----------

You haven't been this successful in _years_.

A suspect caught in a day? The precinct thought only the FBI could do something like that. The norm in the DPD was 3 days and a rough scolding from Fowler. And you proved them wrong!

Hank was the first one to pat you on the back and say 'I'm pretty impressed, kid' with an expression that you could only assosciate with a proud dad.

The second was Chris, one of your few friends in the precinct, who pushed the suspect into his holding cell. The family man shot you a quick grin and an even quicker congratulations.

You assumed all the surprise of it all came from the fact that it was only something an android could do, and Connor wasn't assigned the same case. That was just a guess of course.

You were pretty sure they thought you weren't capable of doing something like that. You weren't able to do these things before, so why now?

The laptop perched on your table glared at you with its too-bright screen.

It was late, your eyes were tired of staring at datapads and your mouth was sore from uttering a little too many 'thank you-s'.

What you really needed right now were plush pillows and the familiarity of your home.

"Detective?"

A tired groan came from you, eyes squinting to adjust to the difference in brightness. Connor was by the end of your desk with his calibrating coin in hand and about nothing else.

"Oh," you tried to stifle a yawn, "what's up, Connor?" Your tired mind resisted calling him by 'the sun'.

"Hank told me about your achievement today." His head cocked to the side, "You did well today, Detective."

"Thank you," you drawled. Your tongue was dying on you. It's probably in his -now broken- programming to do these things, but you appreciated the support nonetheless. How could you not, when those butterflies began to fly in your core?  
" Means a lot, coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't really know," you sighed. "Forgive me, I'm really tired." Your mind scrambled to answer his question anyway, even though you're sure he doesn't desperately need an answer.

"Well, it's just. . ." your eyes wandered from the android to anywhere but him. "You're one of the best people here." You're looking for something else to say.

"I guess I just admired you a lot," you watched his LED turn a sunshine yellow, "and you gave me reasons to work harder."

Connor's brown doe eyes looked at you with an intense curiousity to them.

"I guess you gave me a reason to be the best version of me," you looked him straight in the eye, "and I guess this is what the best version of me is." It's a breath of fresh air. It's like the clutches of self-doubt were repelled.

"So I should really be thanking you," A chuckle left you, a small, exasperated one. "But here you are, congratulating me for something you did."

"You do not have to thank me," his name rolled from his lips in a soft tone. "From my past observations, you have significantly improved without my help."

You're assuming he's taking it _literally_.

"That's _not_ \--" You shot him a look of amusement. "That's not what I meant by that."

"Oh." He looked down with a sheepish expression. You can't quite tell if it's feigned or if it's real.

"All you need to know is that you gave me the best of me. Okay?" He nodded, tucking the coin away. "So thank you, Connor."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uranus was really hard to write because the track is just an instrumental so what did i do? i used another song instead and here we are.
> 
> "You gave me the best of me  
> So you'll give you the best of you  
> You found me. You knew me"


	9. nine ; neptune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and every part of the solar system looked to neptune, who somehow, was able to truly bring you two together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the original! neptune was the first one i wrote and it was intended to be the only one of the planets to be written!

\-----------  
neptune

i want to tell you,  
but i don't know how  
\----------------

" _I. . . I love you."_

Connor estimated that there was a 98% chance that the thunder would basically censor his words if he spoke in the next 2 minutes.

He just had to time it right.

The android's expression feigned hesitation, his hands grew fidgety as he grasped for his coin. This was an act, and yet it felt so real.

His soft brown eyes looked into yours and he felt himself still when he saw how broken - how fragile- you were. Your eyes were pleading, looking for some sort of answer from him.

Were those tears streaming down your face or was it just the rain?

"Connor, please just answer me."

He can't. The little pale blue halo on the side of his temple whirred into a bright yellow.

Your name rolled from his lips in a light tone. "I-" He sighed, hesitating. "Responses for these scenarios were not implemented into my programming."

Connor noticed the gulp you took. He assumed you expected rejection. A quick scan told him that your stress levels were at 87%.

"Androids aren't programmed to feel love, but I-"

  
He heard you whimper a broken plead. Connor closed his eyes, sorting out his next words. He never had to say these things.

_"I love you too."_

Connor felt arms wrap around his drenched form, a warm body pressed against his own. He's glad the heat that's overflowing his thirium veins are only for him, or else you'd be burnt by now.

He's absolutely certain that you can hear the heightened thumping of his thirium pump, however.

_The thunder boomed right after._

  
There was a 99.9% chance he would come to love the rain after this incident.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry for the wait, again, guys! ive been catching up on holiday homework and learning how to make edits!


	10. ten; 134340 (pluto)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pluto reminded you strangely of him, estranged in a reality he was a part of due to circumstances he could not change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> late again, but i have really good reasons this time! ive been binging all my assignments because school is in a couple of days! and i was caught up in hyping up bts' next comeback ;-;
> 
> anyway, this chapter was a mix of two songs, which are both named pluto. 13430 by BTS and pluto by sleeping at last!

\----------  
pluto  
initiate the heart within me  
\-----------

You were absolutely brimming with excitement - or dread, you couldn't tell.

Connor's hand was locked with yours as he led you into the observatory. The building looked absolutely intimidating, and if you were right, it wasn't any ordinary little star base. From where you were, each grey and pristine white wall towered over the both of you, and over the round dome you spotted a hint of a telescope.

From the corner of your awe-filled eyes you could see the begins of a smile spread on his perfect features. He always knew you loved space, so seeing you absolutely brimming with interest at this site was something that fueled a sense of satisfaction in hin.

Connor never even got this much satisfaction after a case well done, so this was honestly quite the predicament for his processing unit to, well, process.

As much as he loved seeing you in such awe -well, he didn't knoe if it was love, but his thirium pump sure indicated it- he tugged on your hand gently, before leading you inside. Little neon stars coated the half walls as though you enetered a child's bedroom. Bright green streaks ran across the floor to show you the way around.

The little mezmerised child in you was raring to go, excited to see the stars and every other celestial body out in the grand expanse of space. It was now your turn to tug on his hand, chuckles erupting from you as he jolted a bit.

"Are we going to see the stars?" you pointed toward the double doors ahead. "Or are we going to stare at these neon ones all day, Connor?" A true smile broke upon his features, and you admitted that a third optuon would just be to sit and stare at that smile all day.

"Lead the way, Detective." He nodded, allowing you to drag him through the next door. It didn't last long, though, because all you wanted to do at that moment was sit down -on the ground if you had to- and stare up and absolutely everywhere.

It was the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in your entire life, and you're confident when you say it's second to the android next to you in ranking. A piece of you wanted to laugh; this was like those cliche movies where the couple sits under the stars, except it was slightly more expensive, being as it's not the grass below you but the feel of a soft carpeted floor.

This is the dome, you realized. The room was much bigger than you thought, with many seats lined up in rows. You're not too sure if the walls are actually huge TV screens or if they're a projection but you felt every bit of giddy happiness bubble in you. Although space was quite the inky blackness, little diamond-like specks decorated that empty expanse.

"That's Taurus!" you whispered, although you're sure you were quite loud. Connor looked up to where you're pointing with inquisitive eyes, his LED whirring into that sunlight yellow. "Oh! And that one is Sumo!"

"Sumo?" His eyes break from the scan he was performing on the walls.

"Canis major. If I could I would rename it to Sumo though." You heard him chuckle, and you feel your cheeks hurt from all the grinning you've done.

"Which one is that?" Your name rolled off his tongue in a soft manner as he ushered you to sit in a chair closeby. You looked at the star he'd pointed at.

Except it wasn't a star, it was 134340, or as many lovingly call it, Pluto.

"Connor, that's Pluto." The dwarf planet was in its true colour; beige with specks of black. "Could you not tell?"

"I wasn't programmed to study astronomy." You were about to let out an 'oh'. "But I can, it just takes quite a while to gather data." You nodded as he sat down beside you. None of you uttered a word, content with looking at the dark expanse.

There were children that lined up in rows and listened to their teacher as she pointed at multiple constellations. They resorted to this now, you thought, because we can't see the stars normally anymore.

"Do you like Pluto?" You turned to look at him, the question was quite odd, especially coming from him.

"Yeah," you drifted off, leaning against him, "I guess I like Pluto."

  
Because Pluto reminded you strangely of him, estranged in a reality he was a part of due to circumstances he could not change.  
You didn't realize the room was freezing until you felt Connor attempt to warm you up.

"You remind me of Pluto." It was a muttering meant for no one else but yourself, but you were a fool if you thought it wouldn't reach the android's ears.

"How so?" Your eyes were closed but you swore that you could hear the curiosity in his tone.

"I was rambling in my head for a bit and you don't need to know all of it." You opened your eyes to the star speckled sky you haven't seen in years.

"Just now that, Connor, I love and care about you." You heard him mutter an 'I know' as his LED blinked rapidly. "And there are others who care about you just as much as I do."

"Thank you," It's soft, and shy, but it's _there_ , just like the stars peeking through the smoke. " _I love and care for you too_."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for supporting thirium veins! and i really am sorry that I got lazy and inconsistent near the end. i really am thankful for the love given to this series and the game, and i hope the game still gets the love it deserves.
> 
> so thank you, it was a breath of fresh air when i wrote this. thank you for being the stars in the black expanse, readers.


End file.
